I arranged this traditional tune for piano and Takahe big-bore low-C whistle. The recording uses the full range of the whistle, C4 to C6.

The Water Is Wide, Low-C Whistle

To celebrate turning 65, I wrote this boogie woogie piece, appropriately called OAP Boogie. It may seem strange to celebrate getting old, but it sure beats the alternative! Its taken me over two years to finish it, because in 'retirement' I seem to be busier then ever.

OAP Boogie

Video

Hear me play my Blues for the Rifleman on a 'Rifleman' Bb Penny Whistle, from Takahe Flutes. The blues was adapted from my piano blues 'Back to Work Blues'. The 2nd and 3rd verses were improvised. Note that the piece is almost entirely in the upper octave of the whistle. Note also that a penny whistle is great for the blues in the key corresponding to the first tone-hole, in this case a blues in C on the Bb Rifleman.

Blues for the Riflemqn

Blues For The Rifleman, Piano & Bb Whistle

This is my interpretation and arrangement of St James Infirmary, for my low-E whistle (played in F#m) and piano. The second verse was improvised. In the third verse the piano takes the tune and I have improvised a harmony part for the whistle.

St James Infirmary for E Whistle and Piano

A weird Mazurka for high-C and low-C whistles, backed by piano, bass and drums. The whistles are my Riroriro wooden high-C and Takahe PVC wide bore low-C, available online from Takahe Flutes.

Takahe Toccata

Lear's Macaw Mazurka

I play my "Song for a Silvereye" on a Silvereye flute from my Takahe Flutes Etsy store. The Silvereye is also on eBay and on my Website, DrJohnLaurence.com. The Silvereye is based on the Cherokee four-hole whistle and is named after the silvereye bird native to Australia and New Zealand. The guitar is a Takamine-D-Series, rescued from a dumpster by one of my daughters. It needed some work but now sounds wonderful. The tune and the variations were all improvised in the middle of the night, when 'normal' folk would be asleep. Video on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbPLEKL8zz8

Single

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Song For A Silvereye

John Laurence plays Fire Snake, on an Enya-D (Arabian scale) from Takahe Flutes

Fire Snake, Enya-D

Colonial Soul, Tribute to Gary Thain, bass player of Uriah Heep.

A Folk-Rock song using typical Uriah Heep chord structures and melody, featuring lyrics about Gary Thain, his life and his music. Gary died in 1975 at the age of 27, to join Joplin, Hendrix, Morrison and Cobain in the '27 Club'. There is a video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVJNUFGw6Ds

Lyrics:
Intro (spoken)
"In the early 1970's, Gary Thain was one of New Zealand's leading musicians.  His mastery of the bass guitar and unique style lead him to one of the biggest bands on the planet.  Unfortunately his battle with heroin ended, as it does for so many, at the age of 27.  This song is for him."

Joined at the hip with that bass like a lover
You and that Fender born for each other
Soul of colonial and callused hands 
Flight of the godwit to green and pleasant lands

Wandering through the party for the magician
You made the sun rise and the blind eye see
Cursed by your demons, no wizard's incantation 
Could save you from your heroin destiny, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh

Followed the well worn Beatles way
Played from your heart all night they say
Carter to the beach in California
Keef and his horns picked up your rising star

Chorus

Now a humble servant of the Dickens monster
Mika and the crowd went wild at Budokan
Coliseum shock, you weren't the same after
Fire burning low, pale shadow of a man

Chorus

No more to prowl between drums and keys
You joined the club with the famous four
Did someone help you to rest in peace?
Sweet freedom and easy living,  
for e-e-e-e-e-evermore
for e-e-e-e-e-evermore

Amazon Download

Colonial Soul, Gary Thain Tribute

This song was recorded to demonstrate my new wooden alto-G whistle, the Kuaka. The original song was written by Ritchie Blackmore, ex Deep Purple, with lyrics by Candice Night. The arrangement for piano, cello and whistle is mine. The prototype Kuaka used for the recording was made from pine from an old bed slat! Production instruments will be made from better timber.

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Kuaka Whistle, Ghost Of A Rose, Blackmore's Night Cover

I wrote this little rondo as a simple round, in the style of Frere Jaques, not in  classical rondo form. It is a work in progress. Dedicated to Rio (not her in the track artwork).

Rondo For Rio

Perhaps the world would be better without religion?

LYRICS
Identical twins born moments apart
Father and mother in one god did trust
Each put their faith in a different prophet
But love couldn't conquer their spiritual rift
His father took Cain to the land of the light
Among the scholars a new life to start

Abel grew to be a good man
Never missed mass or holy communion
He knew his sins would be forgiven
As he forgave them that sinned against him
Said his hail Mary's after confession
Faith in repentance his stairway to heaven

Cain learned quickly the prayers of religion
Inspired by the good book to growing devotion.
His hatred grew for the land of Satan
Waging the holy war his obsession
Vengeance for history, teach them a lesson
Death to the heathens his terrorist mission

Cain moved back with the servants of evil
Plotting against the slaves of the devil
Dressed as a soldier, revenge at the mall
Among the dying, a face he knew well
Abel's last words of forgiveness did dwell
Like a knife in his heart, a stairway to hell

Intolerance is the New Religion

Stairway to Hell

Stairway To Hell

My Flugel Blues One was a pretty fair hint there would be at least a Flugel Blues two, and here it is. Its in E, but not sure of the time signature, but maybe 6/4? The theme was borrowed from my Lear's Macaw Mazurka, also now on SoundCloud.

Flugel Blues Two

A tribute to the New Zealand Dotterels. They've been here for millions of years and could be wiped out by human activity in a decade or two. This  Prelude has been around in various forms for a while, but I decided it was worth recycling, with dulcimer, mellophone, penny whistle, piano and bass this time.

Dotterel Prelude

A blues for the extinct Pouakai Eagle (AKA Haast's Eagle). The song features my Pouakai low Eb penny whistle, playing in Fm. 

The Pouakai was the biggest and most powerful eagle that ever existed, as far as we know. They lived on the ostrich-like Moa. When the Maori people became established in New Zealand, they preyed on the Moa until they became extinct, leaving the Pouakai to the same fate. By about 1300AD there were none left.

Just Whistling Thanks!

Pouakai Blues

My Enya is an alto-G penny whistle using the Arabian scale. Fire Snake is a tune that I improvised for a video about the instrument. The piano part was added afterwards.

Fire Snake

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Demo of my Ruru SP (Saint Patrick) low-D whistle. The song is Hebridean Dream by the Tannahill Weavers, arranged by me..

Hebridean Dream

Hebridean Dream, Tannahill Weavers Cover, Low-D Whistle

"Aging rock legend in my mind."
johnlaurence@drjohnlaurence.com
John Laurence is a multi-instrumentalist, composer and singer/songwriter, with a wide range of influences from Heavy Metal to Mahler, Folk to Baroque, with a healthy dose of Blues, Classical and Jazz. Instruments he plays include keyboards, acoustic and electric guitars, bass guitar, ukulele, Godin Merlin, dulcimer, recorders and whistles, and brass including cornet/trumpet, mellophone and trombone.
  
In 2011 he was diagnosed with attention deficit disorder (ADD) which had affected him undetected since childhood. Although he has a PhD and has had two successful careers, he has begun to see life with a whole new perspective. He has always been a musician at heart and is making up for lost time with a new career as a musician and composer. His music is  influenced by blues, jazz, folk, classical and rock. Given his eclectic tastes and creativity, it is not surprising that John's music has evolved in to a World Music style. A new EP has just been released, named "Last Song of the Dove".  Feedback on the album has been encouraging, especially from countries such as Canada, USA, Mexico, Japan, Israel, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. John is now producing a full length album "Takahe Toccata" building on the style of the EP and dedicated to the World's endangered birds.

John Laurence

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